The mollusc feeds on a green alga, Bryopsis sp., which is most probably the origin source.
The capabilities of bivalve molluscs to feed selectively have been well documented, and physicochemical properties of particles have been implicated as possible factors in the selection process.
Filter feeders are molluscs that feed by straining suspended matter and food particle from water, typically by passing the water over their gills.
A few species live commensally inside the mantle cavity of molluscs and feed on micro-organisms filtered out by the host.
The "generalized" mollusc's feeding system consists of a rasping "tongue", the radula, and a complex digestive system in which exuded mucus and microscopic, muscle-powered "hairs" called cilia play various important roles.
(An extensive list of molluscs with unusual feeding habits is available in the appendix of).
These compounds, collectively known as depsidones, are known to be involved in defense against grazing herbivores like lichen-feeding molluscs.
The results show that real-time PCR is useful to detect Alexandrium intake in filter-feeding molluscs.
Kastelein and co-workers made measurements of the suction pressure in the buccal cavity [ 17] and described the excavation technique used by two captive walruses that were fed molluscs [ 8, 18, 19].
They are nocturnal, emerging from caves and other shelters during the night to feed on molluscs.
